Public Facing "Save As" Option for Instant App

Question

Hi,

I have a free, public, non-organizational, ArcGIS online account with which I am working. From my "My Content" pane I can choose an Instant App>View Details>Settings and I get the option to "Allow Others to Save a Copy of this Item" choice; see attached screenshot. I have this toggled on. My question is, where can others access this instant app and then save it as a copy, as I have allowed?

I can't seem to find that in the Webapp builder as a public facing option. In short, I want people to be able to save a copy of a map and use it from which to build.

Thank you in advance.

jared

Screenshot 2026-03-04 at 08.39.59.png

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JaredSpaulding · Answer

Thank you so much for thinking through this and providing a viable work around that pointed in the right direction. My workflow/objectives changed and in the end I did not need to have the InstantApp copied. But, after recently digging into this option and playing around, the ability to share and help others build an app (even more freely than I would have initially intended) would indeed have been an avenue to pursue!

ChryseMorales · Answer

Hi Jared,

That option is on by default and allows other users in your organization to save a copy of the app into their content. It functionality is not to support external users from saving the app to their organization.

One option for you might be to utilize our Atlas template. This can work as a repository of apps and maps for others to access and then save directly into their content. For example, National Geographic uses this template for their MapMaker public app. If you open it, you can select 'open map' then choose a map from a gallery configured by the app author. In the tool bar, there's then the option to 'save' and one option is to save as a map. This prompts a login to ArcGIS Online, not for the hosting org, but the app user's org that they log into.

You can also configure Atlas not only to save a map, but even as a launching page to create an app from that selected map.

Here's some doc and a blog on Atlas if needed, hope this helps!
https://doc.arcgis.com/en/instant-apps/latest/create-apps/atlas.htm

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/instant-apps/mapping/introducing-atlas-beta